Vacuum-cleaning apparatus with vacuum-cleaner unit and filter bag

Abstract

The invention relates to a vacuum-cleaning apparatus with a vacuum-cleaner unit and a filter bag, in which the filter bag is designed as a flat bag, as a nonwoven filter bag and as a disposable filter bag, and the vacuum-cleaner unit has a filter-bag-accommodating chamber with rigid walls, wherein the filter-bag-accommodating chamber has an opening which can be closed by a flap and has a predetermined opening surface area, through which the filter bag can be inserted into the filter-bag-accommodating chamber. The invention is distinguished in that the ratio between the surface area of a rectangle corresponding to the opening surface area and the surface area of the filter bag is greater than 0.70, preferably greater than 0.85, and highly preferably greater than 1.0.

Claims

1. A vacuum-cleaning apparatus with a vacuum-cleaner unit and a filter bag, the filter bag comprising a flat bag, a nonwoven filter bag and a disposable filter bag, the vacuum-cleaner unit comprising a filter-bag accommodating chamber with rigid walls, the filter-bag accommodating chamber comprising an opening which can be closed by a flap and has a predetermined opening area, through which the filter bag can be inserted into the filter-bag accommodating chamber, the vacuum-cleaning apparatus comprising a ratio between an area of a rectangle corresponding to the opening area and an area of the filter bag wherein the ratio is greater than 0.70, and wherein a ratio between a surface of the filter-bag accommodating chamber and a surface of the filter bag is greater than 0.90.

2. A vacuum-cleaning apparatus with a vacuum-cleaner unit and a filter bag, the filter bag comprising a flat bag, a nonwoven filter bag and a disposable filter bag, the vacuum-cleaner unit comprising a filter-bag accommodating chamber with rigid walls, the filter-bag accommodating chamber comprising an opening which can be closed by a flap and has a predetermined opening area, through which the filter bag can be inserted into the filter-bag accommodating chamber, the vacuum-cleaning apparatus comprising a ratio of a holding volume of the filter bag in the filter bag accommodating chamber to a maximum holding volume of the filter bag, wherein the ratio is greater than 0.70, and wherein a ratio between a surface of the filter-bag accommodating chamber and a surface of the filter bag is greater than 0.90.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filter-bag accommodating chamber is substantially formed of two curved areas.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the filter-bag accommodating chamber comprises two curved areas and a side area, wherein the side area connects the two curved areas along a periphery of the curved areas.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flat bag is rhombic.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the rhombic form has two opposite angles in a range of 100 to 120.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum-cleaner unit is a floor vacuum cleaner or a hand-held vacuum cleaner.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the filter-bag accommodating chamber comprises ribs or rib-shaped sections or bows and the filter bag consists of a filter material with fold-like surface, wherein a height of the ribs or of the rib-shaped sections or the bows is greater than a maximum folding height of the fold-like surface.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the filter-bag accommodating chamber is made substantially smooth and a surface of the filter bag is profiled such that when the filter bag is inserted into the vacuum-cleaner unit a largest part of the surface of the filter bag remains at a distance from the surface of the filter-bag accommodating chamber.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the filter bag comprises folds.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in front of at least a part of a wall of the filter-bag accommodating chamber, a perforated wall is provided at a predetermined distance from the wall of the filter-bag accommodating chamber.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the filter-bag accommodating chamber comprises two curved areas and in front of at least one of the curved areas, a perforated wall is provided at a predetermined distance.

13. A method for inserting a filter bag, as the filter bag comprising a flat bag, a nonwoven filter bag and a disposable filter bag, the method comprising inserting the filter bag into the filter-bag accommodating chamber of a vacuum-cleaner unit, the filter-bag accommodating chamber having rigid walls, and the filter-bag accommodating chamber comprising an opening which can be closed by a flap and has a predetermined opening area, through which the filter bag can be inserted into the filter-bag accommodating chamber, such that the filter bag is inserted in a completely unfolded form as a two-dimensional structure into the filter-bag accommodating chamber.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ratio is greater than 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) In the figures,

(2) FIG. 1 is an inclined view of a first embodiment of the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, in which the filter-bag accommodating chamber is closed;

(3) FIG. 2 is an inclined view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in which the filter-bag accommodating chamber is opened, so that the inserted filter bag is visible;

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the filter-bag accommodating chamber of a second embodiment of the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the filter-bag accommodating chamber of a third embodiment of the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a cutout of a wall of the filter-bag accommodating chamber with inserted filter bag according to a fourth embodiment of the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to the present invention; and

(7) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a cutout of a wall of the filter-bag accommodating chamber with inserted filter bag according to a fifth embodiment of the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a vacuum cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, wherein the filter-bag accommodating chamber is closed in FIG. 1 and the filter-bag accommodating chamber is open in FIG. 2. The filter bag is visible in FIG. 2.

(9) The vacuum-cleaner unit shown in FIG. 1 is a floor vacuum cleaner which has a housing consisting of a first part 210 and of a second part 220 connected to the first part. The first part 210 represents the filter-bag accommodating chamber. The motor of the vacuum-cleaner unit is housed in the second part 220. A hose 211 is connected to the first part 210. As can be seen in FIG. 1 and particularly also in FIG. 2, the filter-bag accommodating chamber is formed of a first curved area 212a and a second curved area 212b.

(10) Moreover, a filter bag 230 can be seen in FIG. 2. This filter bag has the inlet opening 231 provided in one of its corners. The distance D.sub.E of the centroid of the inlet opening from the corner is about of the distance D.sub.FB of the centroid of the filter bag from the corner in the illustrated configuration. A particularly good flow distribution is thereby achieved.

(11) Furthermore, a flap 233 which is self-opening due to the suction flow and self-closing upon stop of the suction flow is provided in front of the inlet opening 231. Said flap is provided on a retaining plate 232 by means of which the filter bag is fixed in the filter-bag accommodating chamber.

(12) In FIG. 2, a filter bag with dovetailed surface folds is inserted into the filter-bag accommodating chamber.

(13) The following table lists the ratio between the area of the rectangle F.sub.RE corresponding to the opening area and the filter area F.sub.Filter, the ratio of the holding volume of the filter bag in the accommodating chamber V.sub.AR to its maximum holding volume V.sub.Max and the ratio between surface of the filter-bag accommodating chamber S.sub.AR and the surface of the filter bag S.sub.Filter for the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 according to the invention and for a vacuum cleaning apparatus which is representative of the prior art. The prior-art apparatus is the vacuum-cleaner unit UltraOne ECO of AEG/Elektrolux with the accompanying vacuum cleaner bag S-Bag Ultra Long Performance.

(14) TABLE-US-00001 F.sub.RE/F.sub.Filter V.sub.AR/V.sub.Max S.sub.AR/S.sub.Filter Prior art 0.46 0.59 0.69 Invention 1.10 0.81 1.05

(15) FIG. 3 shows a cross section through the filter-bag accommodating chamber of a second embodiment of the present invention. The cross section extends here through the center of the filter-bag accommodating chamber along a first direction. Along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction the cross-section resembles the one shown in FIG. 3. According to this embodiment the filter-bag accommodating chamber consists of two curved areas 400a and 400b.

(16) FIG. 4 shows a cross-section through the filter-bag accommodating chamber of a third embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment the filter-bag accommodating chamber comprises, apart from two curved areas 500a and 500b, a side area 500c which interconnects the two curved areas on their periphery.

(17) The embodiments depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4 represent an optimal adaption of the filter-bag accommodating chamber to the filter bag which in an optimally filled condition assumes the shape of a cushion. On the one hand, until the complete filling of the filter bag, conditions are always prevailing such that the dust holding capacity which is achievable for the filter bag together with a high collection efficiency and a long service life is not negatively affected. On the other hand, the requirement can thereby be taken into account that the dust-filter accommodating chamber should be designed as small as possible to keep the overall dimensions of the vacuum-cleaner unit as small as possible.

(18) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a cutout of a wall of the filter-bag accommodating chamber 610 with inserted filter bag 620 according to a fourth embodiment of the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. In this embodiment the wall 610 comprises ribs 611. The filter bag 620 comprises so-called dovetailed folds 621. The maximum folding height of the dovetailed folds 621 (i.e. the height when these are completely folded out) is smaller than the height of the ribs 611. The effective filter area can thereby be increased considerably. A highly efficient combination of vacuum-cleaner unit and filter bag can thereby be accomplished.

(19) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a cutout of a wall of the filter-bag accommodating chamber 710 with inserted filter bag 720 according to a fifth embodiment of the vacuum cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. The surface of the wall of the filter-bag accommodating chamber 710 is made smooth. The surface of the filter bag 720 is profiled by means of standing folds in such a manner that the largest part of the surface of the filter bag remains at a distance from the surface of the filter-bag accommodating chamber. In this embodiment the effective surface of the filter material can also be increased, which also represents a highly efficient combination of vacuum-cleaner unit and filter bag.